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SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article

Front. Neurol.
Sec. Movement Disorders
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1503342

Efficacy and Safety of Intravenous Ferric Carboxymaltose in the Treatment of Restless Legs Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Provisionally accepted
Ayesha Khan Ayesha Khan 1Harsh Kumar Harsh Kumar 1Kuldeep Dalpat Rai Kuldeep Dalpat Rai 1Anzel Saeed Anzel Saeed 1Jawad Ishtiaq Jawad Ishtiaq 1Muhammad Tanveer Alam Muhammad Tanveer Alam 1Sakshi Chawla Sakshi Chawla 1MD ARIFUL HAQUE MD ARIFUL HAQUE 2*
  • 1 Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Punjab, Pakistan
  • 2 Atish Dipankar University of Science and Technology, Dhaka, Bangladesh

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Restless legs syndrome (RLS), also known as Willis-Ekbom Disease (WED), is a sensorimotor disorder characterized by an uncontrollable urge to move the legs, typically accompanied by discomfort. Low iron levels, pregnancy, and age are some identified risk factors. RLS is treated using various pharmacological options, including dopamine agonists, benzodiazepines, anticonvulsants, opioids, and bupropion. Iron supplementation, particularly with intravenous Ferric carboxymaltose (FCM), has gained attention due to the role of iron deficiency in RLS pathophysiology. This meta-analysis evaluates the efficacy and safety of FCM in treating RLS symptoms. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted following the PRISMA guidelines, using databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane. Studies involving intravenous FCM in patients diagnosed with RLS were included. Statistical analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.4. Seven studies involving 539 participants were analyzed. FCM significantly reduced IRLS scores (WMD = -5.77; 95% CI = [-8.85, -2.70]; p = 0.0002) and improved VAS and SF-36 scores compared to placebo. However, FCM did not significantly improve RLS quality of life scores. Adverse events were more common in the FCM group, particularly nausea, but no significant differences were found for severe adverse events. In conclusion, intravenous ferric carboxymaltose significantly reduces restless legs syndrome symptoms, especially in patients with confirmed iron deficiency. The treatment appears generally well-tolerated, with adverse effects being manageable. However, further long-term studies are needed to fully assess the safety profile and confirm sustained symptom improvement in a broader population.

    Keywords: Restless Legs Syndrome, Willis-Ekbom disease, FERRIC CARBOXYMALTOSE, iron therapy, neuromuscular disorder

    Received: 30 Sep 2024; Accepted: 16 Dec 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Khan, Kumar, Rai, Saeed, Ishtiaq, Tanveer Alam, Chawla and HAQUE. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: MD ARIFUL HAQUE, Atish Dipankar University of Science and Technology, Dhaka, Bangladesh

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.